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Reducing Perceived Heat in Habanero Peppers (SCIENCE!)

I've grown my own peppers in a garden for several years now. After preparing fresh habaneros in a salsa recipe, I noticed that there was an incredible reduction in the spicy flavor of the peppers after I'd soaked them in a cup of vinegar while waiting for some of the other ingredients to cook.

I'd taken another pepper from the same plant, cooked it in my eggs for breakfast a few days later, and nearly burned my face off. This led me to wonder what the exact mechanism was to break down capsaicin, and therefore, the perceived heat and spice of habanero peppers. I did some rudimentary research on the Internet and found that certain compounds, such as alcohol, can break down capsaicin oils.

Question/Problem:

How effective are various solutions in reducing perceived heat and flavor of a habanero pepper?


Hypothesis:

Various solutions can indeed reduce perceived heat and flavor of a habanero pepper; the degree of efficacy is unknown


Material List:

  • 3 fresh habanero peppers

  • Monte Alban tequila

  • Platinum Vodka

  • Meijer brand White Vinegar

  • Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

  • Holland, Michigan municipal tap water


Each lucky pepper in front of the container of solvent


Procedures:

Quarter and de-vein 3 fresh habanero peppers. Three quarter slices of each pepper will be used as a test sample, the fourth will be retained unsoaked as a control sample. It is imperative to keep the same pepper for each type of sample.

Pour 2 ounces of each compound into a bowl: One bowl with tequila, one with vodka, one with white vinegar, and one with baking soda. Put a slice of habanero into each bowl and start a timer for 30 minutes. This is the 60 minute sample

When the timer goes off, prepare a second round of bowls with 2 ounces each of tequila, vodka, vinegar, and baking soda. Place a slice of each habanero in each bowl again, and set a second timer for 15 minutes. This will be the 30 minute sample.

When this timer goes off, prepare a third round of bowls, and repeat. Set a timer for 15 minutes. This will be the 15 minute sample.

When the final timer goes off, the first sample will have soaked (or absorbed, in the case of baking soda) for a full hour; the second will have soaked for 30 minutes, and the third will have soaked for 15 minutes. Discard the various liquid samples; in the case of baking soda, I rinsed one off in Holland City tap water, and rinsed the other off in fresh vinegar.

Organize each pepper onto an array to keep them separate from each other, and eat a sample of each to find out the spice level


Data Table:

Control: 100% heat

60 Minute Tequila Soak: 50% heat

30 Minute Tequila Soak: 40% heat

15 Minute Tequila Soak: 75% heat


60 Minute Vodka Soak: 60% Heat

30 Minute Vodka Soak: 70% Heat

15 Minute Vodka Soak: 80% Heat


60 Minute Vinegar Soak: 90% Heat

30 Minute Vinegar Soak: 95% Heat


60 Minute Baking Soda Rinsed With Vinegar: 75% Heat, with a 75% flavor reduction

60 Minute Baking Soda Rinsed With Water: 65% Heat, with an 85% flavor reduction


The samples being prepared for the 60 minute soak



Analysis:

Of the 16 samples, the two that had the most heat reduction were the samples that had soaked in tequila for 30 minutes, and for 60 minutes. The 60 minute sample had a longer afterburn when compared with the 30 minute sample, which seems to indicate that the capsaicin gets reabsorbed back into the flesh of the pepper. The vinegar acted as a mild pickling agent, and actually made the spice flavor hotter when compared to a control sample. The vodka samples had a reduced heat flavor, but not as much as the tequila. The baking soda samples, interestingly enough, reduced the flavor but not the heat.


The array/party matrix of heat



Conclusion/Summary:

Soaking habanero peppers in various liquids can indeed reduce the perceived heat and flavor of a fresh pepper. Alcohol does break down capsaicin, though when left in for too long, that capsaicin can be reabsorbed back into the fruit. Baking soda, while incredibly effective at reducing heat, also reduces the wonderful fruity flavor of a habanero, and is not recommended at all.



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